Queensland medicinal cannabis farm to supply patients within weeks

Australia's first fully operational medicinal cannabis farm has opened in Queensland and will start supplying patients within weeks.

Australian company Medifarm's Sunshine Coast facility currently houses 1,000 marijuana plants which can produce 1.2 tonnes of medicinal cannabis a year, with hopes to increase to seven tonnes a year.

Only a few thousand Australians have been prescribed medicinal cannabis treatment by a doctor despite it being legalised by the federal government in February 2016, and they rely largely on important products.

Medifarm director Adam Benjamin said a reliable local supply of medicinal cannabis was crucial for doctors and patients considering it as treatment.

"Doctors, I believe, are doing their best to become better educated, to understand how to access the product, but the reality is we are talking about imported products at the moment that can't even keep up with demand," Mr Benjamin told 9News.

"When you've got a patient that is taking a medicine it's very important there is no interruption to that medicine, so the local supply of that supply chain is integral to supporting better patient access."

The company has an exclusive partnership with Tikun Olam, an Israel-based company that has developed specific strains of medicinal cannabis to target different conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, cancer and palliative treatment.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Medifarm held three of 81 licenses to produce medicinal cannabis in Australia.

Australian patients would have priority for the local product, but companies like Medifarm could also export to the global market, he said.

"Medicinal cannabis is something which this government has legalised subject to the most rigorous conditions, arguably some of the most rigorous condition in the world which is why Europe looks to Australia as a preferred supplier," he said.

"If the doctors determine that the medicine should be available, it can be available."

Security at the farm is strict with two checkpoints controlling access, as well as security cameras. The location of the farm is kept secret and all plants are destroyed after they have been harvested.